1.0South Carolina Encyclopediahttps://www.scencyclopedia.org/sceMatthew Simmonshttps://www.scencyclopedia.org/sce/author/sceditor/rich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="7b9CVULaFr"><a href="https://www.scencyclopedia.org/sce/entries/vesta-mills/">Vesta Mills</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://www.scencyclopedia.org/sce/entries/vesta-mills/embed/#?secret=7b9CVULaFr" width="600" height="338" title="“Vesta Mills” — South Carolina Encyclopedia" data-secret="7b9CVULaFr" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script type="text/javascript"> /* <![CDATA[ */ /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); /* ]]> */ </script> By the close of the nineteenth century, the concentration of textile factories in the upstate manufacturing centers of Greenville and Spartanburg caused manufacturers to become concerned about supplies of local cotton and labor. Spartanburg mill owner John Montgomery and New York commission merchant Seth Milliken ventured far afield in 1899 with a controversial purchase of […]